Fire prevention modernization

INOOBSERBA ngayong Marso ang Fire Prevention Month alinsunod sa Presidential Proclamation No. 115-A na inisyu ni dating President Ferdinand Marcos noong Nobyembre 17, 1966.

Isinasaad ng proklamasyon ang pagpapaigting ng “safety consciousness among our people every day of the year as a positive preventive approach to a problem that can be solved by more caution, vigilance, sobriety, exercise of common sense and respect for the law.”

Itinakda ang fire prevention month tuwing Marso dahil tuwing ganitong panahon kadalasang may pinakamara-ming nagaganap na sunog, bunsod ng napakainit na klima. Ayon sa Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), ngayong taon ay mayroon nang naitalang 482 fire incidents sa Metro Manila pa lang.

Kaugnay nito ay ipinupursige ni Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada ang Senate Bill 1542 (Fire Protection Modernization Act). Aniya, “Fire incidents… can be prevented or at least their effects lessened through proper safety measures and protection services. With the hope of addressing the significant danger faced by the populace from fires, this bill proposes to establish a program strengthening the effective delivery of fire protection services by way of greater local government capability and active community support.”

Itinatakda ng panukala ang mga sumusunod:

a) Establishment of Fire Protection Services in all local government units with no existing fire protection services;

b) Upgrading of existing fire protection equipment and services:

c) Establishment of specialized fire protection and related services within the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for the management of high-rise building fires, forest fires, aircraft/airport fires, ship fires, and chemical fires; disaster rescue services, emergency medical services and the like; and,

d) Establishment of training facilities, including the hi-ring of internationally accredited training consultants and advisers if experts of equal qualification cannot be secured locally, to accelerate the personnel development program of the BFP.

Binigyang-diin ni Jinggoy ang kahalagahan ng pagpapalakas ng kapasidad at pagtutulungan ng pamahalaan, komunidad at iba’t ibang sektor sa pag-prevent at pagsugpo ng sunog upang maprotektahan ang mga mamamayan, ari-arian at kabuhayan.